Jabberjay
by diAngelo57
Summary: In an effort to contain the spark of Katniss Everdeen, President Snow sends an escort to keep an eye on her for six months. But when she's caught hunting in the woods, things turn from bad to worse, and Katniss is sent to live in the Capitol for the rest of her life. Only her escort seems to soothe her, and that escort is none other than the Head Gamemaker, Seneca Crane.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello friends! I decided to make a sequel to Just This Once, and here it is! This tells the events leading up to my other story. Hopefully you'll enjoy it!**

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I exhaled heavily, wrapping my arms around my knees. The Victory Tour was over. I was going home. There was just one minor setback. . . .

I looked over to where Haymitch was leaning against the wall, glaring at the man across the room. The man glanced away, looking down at his shoes.

"Miss Everdeen, if there's anything I can do to make you more comfortable. . ." he began.

"There isn't, Crane," I snapped at him. "I think this situation will be easier on all of us if we can both pretend you're not here."

The Gamemaker lowered his head respectfully, any other words silenced.

Still tense, I stood up and angrily stormed off to my room, nearly slamming into the train doors. I curled up on my bed, fuming.  
I heard the doors open again and felt the weight of somebody sitting down on my bed.

"Sweetheart."

"Go away, Haymitch," I grumbled, throwing a pillow at him.

He ducked and laughed. "I'm glad this trip hasn't taken the spark out of you."

I grunted. "Not yet."

He was silent for a moment, all humor gone from his voice. "Snow's doing this to keep an eye on you, you know."

"I know. But I don't see why _he_ has to be the one who stays and lives with me for seven months!"

"It's just a part of their game. Don't do anything stupid." He gave me a light touch on the shoulder and was gone.

So of course, I did the opposite of his advice.


	2. Chapter 2

"Prim!" I swept my little sister into my arms.

"Katniss!" she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Where's mom?" I looked wildly around for the blonde head of my mother.

The train had finally come to a stop in District Twelve and Haymith, Seneca and I had been left at the platform. However, the only people there to greet us were Prim and a few peacekeepers.

"She caught the flu a few days after you left for the tour. Gale's looking after her."

My brain went on alert. "You walked all the way up here alone?" I stood up and held her hand.

"No, Darius walked me here," she pointed to the young peacekeeper in white standing by the platform.

I narrowed my eyes and steered her away. "Come on, let's go home. Haymitch!"

Haymitch and Seneca silently followed us, the gravel crunching beneath their shoes.

"Who's he?" Prim asked in a hushed whisper, watching the Gamemaker out of the corner of her eye.

My mind raced quickly for a suitable lie. "Just my escort from the Capitol. He'll be staying with us for a while, but don't pay him any mind."

We continued our walk in silence until we had passed through the nicer part of District Twelve and into the Victor's Village. Haymitch abandoned our company for his own home, and left Prim and I to find our mother.

"Mom?" I entered our home and looked around for a familiar face. Seneca dwelled idley by the door, unsure of what to do.

"Catnip!" Gale's sturdy voice echoed from a few rooms over.

We rushed in to see him at my mother's bedside, nursing a cold cloth on her head. He looked up at me but didn't smile, and his gaze wandered to Seneca. A flash of angry recognition gleamed in his eyes and he opened his mouth to say something. I shook my head no ever so slightly, my eyes motioning to Prim. Gale froze, but the hardness stayed in his eyes.

"It's not good, Katniss," he said.

I wasn't sure if he was referring to my mother or the Gamemaker.

"It's just the flu. She'll get over it," I stated blandly.

Gale hummed and turned back to my mother.

I bristled at his coldness and turned to Seneca. "Come on, I'll show you to your room."

I led him to one of our many guest bedrooms, purposefully the one furthest from Prim and I's. It was one of the more plain rooms, holding only a firm bed, plain gray curtains, and a small sidetable.

Seneca glanced over the space quickly, setting his small bag of luggage down on the mattress. "Thank you, this will do nicely."

A long silence ensued, so tense it became hard to breathe. He stared at me, his icy blue eyes burning into mine. I blinked rapidly and looked away.

"Bathroom's on the left, down the hall," I stuttered and, desperate to escape the suffocating tension, scuttled away. He chuckled softly.

That night I dreamed of a sleek, laughing jabberjay with piercing blue eyes.


End file.
